Composite container



July 24, 1962 G. E. MCMAHON COMPOSITE CONTAINER Filed Dec. 22, 1960 FIGI INVENTDR. GEORGE E. MGMAHON Kai/M @014 ATTORNEYS 3,045,859 Patented July 24, 1962 Illinois Filed Dec. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 77,758 3 Claims. (Cl. 22023) The present invention relates to improvements in metal containers, and more particularly to containers of the composite type comprising two or more separate receptacles assembled one within the other in a unitary structure and adapted for holding separate ingredients of a material which are to be mixed for use.

One such composite container is described and claimed in a copending McCarthy application, Serial No. 749,738, filed July 21, 1958, now Patent No. 2,981,435 issued April 25, 196l, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

Composite containers of this type are especially useful in receiving, storing, or shipping such materials as metallic paints which are commonly prepared with their liquid and solid ingredients left unmixed until ready for use. Similarly, various plastics are prepared with the catalyst-plasticizer admixture separate from the primary material until use is imminent at which time they are put together for reaction.

In the aforementioned McCarthy application, there is illustrated a composite container including an outer drum and an inner receptacle in the form of a separate independently closable can received within the drum. The can is closed with a lid or cap positioned within the drum. The can and lid are positioned within the drum during storage and shipping, and are in contact with the ingredients of the drum; therefore, the can and cap are sticky and messy to handle and present difliculty in emptying the contents of the can into the drum. Moreover, in such an arrangement, independent access to the can is not available without opening the drum.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved composite container structure which overcomes the aforementioned difliculties.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved composite container structure which is economical to manufacture, convenient to fill, and which occupies a minimum of space during storage and shipment of the inner receptacle.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved composite container structure wherein the inner receptacle is maintained in spaced relation with respect to the side wall and bottom of the outer receptacle and is easily accessible from outside the outer receptacle.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the specification.

Briefly stated, in accordance with the present invention, a composite container structure comprises, in general, an outer container or receptacle defined by a sheet metal drum and a substantially smaller independently closable can constituting an inner receptacle for insertion within the drum. The can is formed of a side wall and an end wall closing one end of the can, and is open at the other end. A removable cover is provided for the drum for closing the drum, and is further provided with an inwardly depressed wall portion containing an aperture having an upwardly extending externally threaded flange around the aperture formed integrally with the wall portion. The open end of the can is circumferentially secured within the flange so that the can extends substantially within the drum. A removable screw threaded cap cooperates with the threaded flange to close the open end of the can.

The invention will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an improved composite container embodying the features of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially in the plane of line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, an improved composite container generally indicated at 10 comprises an outer receptacle or drum 12 of comparatively heavy sheet metal and large enough to hold all of the primary ingredients required for a predetermined quantity of unmixed material, and an inner receptacle in the form of a separate independently closable can 14 of suflicient capacity to hold the admixture ingredients of the material to be received in the container. The can is adapted to be received within the drum 12 to the end that the receptacles comprise when assembled a unitary structure with the inner receptacle disposed for convenient access.

While the inner and outer receptacles 14 and 12, respectively, may be of any suitable form or construction, it is preferable to employ a standard sheet metal drum 12 of the character commercially manufactured in large quantities and therefore relatively inexpensive. The drum 12, as herein shown, comprises a cylindrical body 16 closed at its lower end by a permanently attached bottom 18. At its upper end, the drum is adapted to be closed by a removable cover 20. The upper edge of the body of the drum 12 is rolled outwardly to form an annular bead 24 for seating the cover 20.

The cover 20 has a depressed central portion 26 adapted to fit snugly into the upper end of the drum 12 and to define its upper end wall. The marginal edge portions of the cover 20 are rolled outwardly and downwardly to form an annular channel 28 of semicylindrical cross section adapted to fit over the bead 24 of the drum 12. The outer wall of the lid channel 28 is appropriately formed to define slotted lugs 30 which may be crimped or bentunder the bead 24 to secure the cover 20 to the drum 10. A gasket 32 of rubber or other suitable material is inserted in the channel for engagement with the bead to effect a tight seal.

To facilitate handling, the drum 10 is equipped with a bail 34. The bail is pivotally mounted upon the drum by means of cup-shaped ears 36 for the reception of the ends of the bail. The ears are permanently fixed at diametrically opposite points on the drum wall adjacent the upper end of the drum 10.

As shown, the inner receptacle 14 is a can of cylindrical form fashioned of sheet metal which may be of substantially lighter gauge than that of which the drum and its cover are formed. The can 14 includes a cylindrical side wall 3 8 and a permanently attached bottom end wall 40 closing the lower end of the side wall 38 and having an upper open end 41.

In carrying out the present invention, the central portion 26 of the cover 20 is provided with an inwardly depressed wall portion 42 provided with an aperture 44 formed by "an outwardly extending externally threaded flange 46 formed integrally with the wall portion 42. The upper inner end of the flange 46 terminates in an annular bead 48.

In order to support the can 14 substantially within the drum, the upper open end 41 of the can 14 is circumferentially secured to the upstanding flange 46. Speifically, the side wall 38 is provided with an outwardly extending bead 50 spaced slightly downwardly from the open end 41 along the side wall 38 and the edge of the side wall 38 at the open end 41 is bent into an outward- 1y extending flange 54 forming a notch or groove 52'. The bead 48 is secured in the groove 52 between the bead 50 and the lower surface of the flange 54 so that the can 14 is securely fastened to the cover 20 with the open end 41. of the can 14 extending upwardly through the cover 20. A gasket 56 is interposed between the flange 54 and the bead 48 so as to form a seal between the cover 20 and the can 14.

In order to cover the can 14, there is provided a conventional removable screw threaded cap 58. The cap 58 includes a cylindrical side portion 60 having its upper end closed by an end portion 62 and having its lower edge rolled outwardly and upwardly to form a bead 64. The cap 58 is formed of sheet metal and the side wall 60 thereof is threaded for engaging and screwing against the threaded upstanding flange 46. The cap 58 is additionally provided with a disc-shaped sealing gasket 66 on the inner surface of the end portion 62 which may conventionally be formed of cardboard or other sealing material and which is adapted to seat against the outturned flange 54 of the can 14-, thereby to form an airtight seal with the can 14.

It will be appreciated that, according to the present invention, there is provided a composite container having an outer receptacle and an inner receptacle extending through the cover or end wall of the outer receptacle. The inner receptacle is readily accessible from outside the inner container and may be filled without opening the outer receptacle. Moreover, the cap 58 of the inner container may be removed and the contents of the inner container 14 may be emptied into the outer container without handling portions of the inner container 14 which have been immersed in the primary materials contained in the outer container 12.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described by way of illustrations, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Leters Patent of the United States is:

1. A composite container structure comprising a sheet metal drum formed with a generally cylindrical body closed at its lower end by a permanently attached bottom and constituting an outer receptacle, the upper edge of said body of said drum being rolled outwardly to form an annular bead, a removable cover for said drum having marginal edge portions rolled outwardly and downwardly to form an annular channel of semi-cylindrical cross section adapted to fit over said annular bead for closing the same and having a central portion defining one end wall of the drum provided with an inwardly depressed portion having an aperture, an outwardly extending externally threaded flange around said aperture formed integrally with said central portion and terminating in an inwardly extending annular bead, a substantially smaller independently closable can constituting an inner receptacle for insertion within said drum, said can having a side wall open at one end and an end wall permanently closing the other end of said can, said side wall being formed with an outwardly extending bead spaced slightly downwardly from the open end of said can and the top edge of said side wall being bent into an outwardly extending flange which cooperates with the last-mentioned bead to form a groove, said inwardly extending annular bead being locked in said groove to secure said can within said aperture, said can extending substantially within said drum, and a removable cap external of said drum threaded only on said threaded flange closing the end of said can.

2. A composite container structure comprising a first cylindrical container of large diameter having one open end constituting an outer receptacle and a second cylindrical container of smaller diameter having one open end constituting an inner receptacle, a removable cover for said first container for closing the open end thereof, said cover having an annular outwardly projecting portion defining an aperture of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of said inner receptacle, means for permanently securing the open end of said inner receptacle to said annular projecting portion of said cover in sealed relationship therewith whereby access to said inner receptacle is through said aperture in said cover and said inner receptacle is supported within said outer receptacle when said cover is secured to said outer receptacle, and a removable cap disposed externally of said cover secured to said annular projecting portion for closing the open end of said inner receptacle.

3. The composite container of claim 2 wherein said cover is provided with an annular depressed portion surrounding said projecting portion and both said projecting portion and said removable cap are threaded for threadedly securing said cap to said annular projecting portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 280,820 Hickson July 10, 1883 1,030,325 Peoples June 25, 1912 1,047,681 Mofiat Dec. 17, 1912 2,404,496 Henin July 23, 1946 

